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From 1 July 2026, significant changes to customs rules come into force in the European Union, directly affecting businesses that receive or ship goods through e-commerce from third countries. If your company orders goods from China, the United States, or other countries outside the EU \u2014 this is information worth knowing today.<\/p>\n
E-commerce customs rules<\/strong> are currently undergoing one of the most significant reforms in decades.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”black”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Until 30 June 2026, the so-called “de minimis” exemption was in place \u2014 consignments with a value below \u20ac150 could enter the EU without customs duty. This meant that billions of small parcels from China and other countries entered the EU market every year free of customs charges. According to European Commission data, in 2025 the number of such shipments reached almost 5.9 billion units \u2014 approximately 12 million parcels per day.<\/p>\n This arrangement was designed to reduce the administrative burden on customs authorities, but as e-commerce has grown exponentially, it has become a significant distortion of competition between traders operating within the EU and e-commerce platforms based outside it.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”black”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The Council of the European Union formally approved the new rules on 11 February 2026. From 1 July 2026, a fixed \u20ac3 customs duty is applied to each item in a consignment whose total value does not exceed \u20ac150 and which is imported from third countries.<\/p>\n Several aspects are important to clarify.<\/p>\n The duty is applied per item, not per consignment as a whole. If a single parcel contains three items falling under three different customs tariff headings (HS codes), the duty can reach \u20ac9. This is one of the most common misunderstandings about the new regulation.<\/p>\n The duty covers 93% of e-commerce shipments. It applies to shipments whose sellers are registered in the EU VAT system (IOSS). Shipments where VAT is not processed through IOSS may be subject to standard customs tariffs.<\/p>\n The duty is a temporary measure. The new e-commerce customs rules provide that the \u20ac3 duty will be in force from 1 July 2026 until 1 July 2028. Once the EU Customs Data Hub becomes operational, standard customs tariffs will apply based on each product’s classification.<\/p>\n A \u20ac2 handling fee is also planned. In autumn 2026, a separate \u20ac2 handling fee per consignment is expected to be introduced as compensation to customs authorities for administrative costs. This fee has not yet been finally confirmed, but businesses should monitor its implementation.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”black”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The new e-commerce customs rules directly affect several categories of businesses in Latvia.<\/p>\n Businesses that import goods from China and other third countries through online platforms. If a company has been using the \u20ac150 exemption to import small batches without customs duty, this advantage will no longer exist from 1 July. Each item will be subject to the \u20ac3 duty.<\/p>\n E-commerce businesses that sell goods in the EU market and import from third countries. The new rules increase import costs for small shipments, which may affect product pricing or profit margins.<\/p>\n Logistics and export companies organising freight transportation<\/a> from third countries. The changes require more careful documentation \u2014 correct HS codes, precise product descriptions (general descriptions like “accessories” are no longer acceptable) and complete importer information. Incorrect classification can result in additional duties or delays.<\/p>\n From 1 November 2026, product identifiers (PIDs) will also become mandatory, to allow customs authorities to more effectively track and inspect imported goods.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”black”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The EU customs reform is a response to several factors. First, exponential growth in e-commerce shipments \u2014 the volume has doubled every year since 2022. Second, competitive imbalance \u2014 traders based outside the EU effectively enjoyed a structural competitive advantage over EU traders who pay full customs duty on imports. Third, e-commerce shipments frequently brought in non-compliant or unsafe goods that were harder to control under the exemption regime.<\/p>\n The new arrangement is the European Commission’s attempt to ensure fairer competitive conditions and strengthen customs oversight, while preparing for the full digitalisation of the customs system planned for 2028.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”black”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n For businesses affected by the new e-commerce customs rules, several steps are worth taking now. First, review all goods to be imported and ensure they have correct HS classification codes \u2014 incorrect codes from 1 July may mean additional duties or customs delays. Second, evaluate whether switching to bulk import might be more cost-effective than continuing to ship small parcels directly from third countries. Third, confirm that your logistics or customs partner understands the new rules and can provide proper documentation.<\/p>\n A-ES Logistics customs broker services<\/a> help businesses navigate customs documentation and avoid errors that can lead to shipment delays or additional costs. Our specialists are familiar with both the current and new e-commerce customs rules and provide individual consultations to ensure smooth delivery.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The changes coming into force on 1 July 2026 are among the most significant customs reforms in the European Union in recent decades. The \u20ac3 duty may seem small in itself, but its cumulative impact on businesses importing in large volumes can be substantial. Detailed information and the official guidance on the new arrangements are available on the European Commission website<\/a>, where the full explanatory document for operators has been published.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”GET A QUOTE” color=”juicy-pink” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fa-es.eu%2Fen%2Fget-a-quote|title:GET%20A%20QUOTE||”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] E-Commerce Customs Rules Change from 1 July 2026 \u2014 What You Need to Know From 1 July 2026, significant changes to customs rules come into force in the European Union, directly affecting businesses that receive or ship goods through e-commerce from third countries. If your company orders goods from China, the United States, or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2979,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2981"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2984,"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2981\/revisions\/2984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/a-es.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What E-Commerce Customs Rules Looked Like Until Now<\/h2>\n
How E-Commerce Customs Rules Change from 1 July 2026<\/h3>\n
What New E-Commerce Customs Rules Mean for Latvian Businesses<\/h3>\n
Why E-Commerce Customs Rules Are Changing<\/h3>\n
How to Prepare<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n